Tape moistening device for mail



Jun 3, 1947. c. D. RYAN ETAL TAPE MOISTENING DEVICE FOR MAIL TREATINGMACHINES Original Filed Dec. 11, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet l gwuwfowdon/#000262 Rm am 0/64/(5 June'3, 1947.

c, D. RYAN EI'AL Original Filed Dec. 11, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 F 1 0 N wL! M 0 EDWARD A Jag/r5 app,

June 3, 1947. c. D. RYAN ETAL 2,421,579 'I'APE'MOISTENING DEVICE FORMAIL TREATING MACHINES Original Filed Dec. 11, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 nwmw v Com/000252 Am/v 1 Emma flfiA/rE' I June 3, 1947. c. D. RYAN ETALTAPE MOISTENING DEVICE FOR MAIL TREATING MACHINES a Sheets Sheet 4Original Filed Dec. 11, 1940 3 my Mvkyw Couuooanzfl. Am/v fan/4R0 P.17/74/05" June 3, 1947. g, RYAN ETAL v 2,421,579

TAPE MOISTENING DEVICE FOR MAIL TREATING MACHINES Original Filed Dec.11., 1940 a SheeEs-Sheet 5 June 3, 1947. c, RYAN ETAL 2,421,579

TAPE MOISTENING DEVICE FOR MAIL TREATING MACHINES Original Filed Deo'.ll, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 3mm COMMOOOAEQ Ar/w I [0114420 A DAM/r5 @lZuw MJune 3, 19 47. c, RYAN ET AL 2,421,579

TAPE MOISTENING DEVICE FOR MAIL TREATING MACHINES Original Filed Dec.11, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Jew/ 1000252 A614 [0116420 0214/65 June 3,1947.

C. D. RYAN ET AL TAPE MOISTENING DEVICE FOR MAIL TREATING MACHINES 8Shets-Sheet 8 Original Filed Dec. 11, 1940 Patented June 3, 1947TAPEMOISTENING DEVICE FOR MAIL TREATING MACHINES Commodore D. Ryan andEdward P. Drake, Los

Angeles, Calif., assignors to Commercial Controls Corporation,Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Original applicationDecember 11, 1940, Serial Divided and this application January 19, 1945,Serial No. 573,513

11 Claims. I

eration, and relatively simple and rugged in construction. Anotherobject is to provide a relatively simple and effective machine forprinting postage or the like on a tape fed from a roll of tape in themachine and discharged from the machine after being printed. A stillfurther object is to provide apparatus of the above nature by which theprinted tape may be moistened and delivered for application as desired.Another object is to provide in a machine of the above character tapemoistening mechanism which is automatically conditioned for operationwhen the mail treating machine is set to print on tape. Other objectswill be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No.369,570, filed December 11, 1940, entitled Printing machine which issuedas Patent 2,380,331 on July '10, 1945.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangements of parts as will beexemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scopeof the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

The manner in which the foregoing objects and features of the inventionare accomplished, together with other features and objects, will beexplained by describing in detail a particular embodiment of theinvention as disclosed in the drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine;

Figure 1A is a horizontal view through a machine in accordance with theinvention, as viewed partly in plan and partly in section, with portionsof the upper cover broken away and showing the construction therebelow;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially in the plane 22 ofFigure 1A;

Figure 3 is a sectional skeleton view of certain parts takensubstantially in the vertical plane 33 of Figure 1A;

Figure 4 is a skeleton View similar to Figure 3, but showing some of theparts in a different position;

Figure 5 is a detail vertical section taken substantially in the plane55 of Figure 1A;

Figure 6 is a vertical skeleton View, taken substantially along the line6-6 of Figure 1A;

Figure '7 is a detail developed section, taken along the curved line'|'l of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a section taken in the same plane as Figure 6, but showingsome of the parts in different positions;

Figure 9 is a developed section similar to Figure 7 with the parts inthe same position as shown in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is still another section, similar to Figure 5, but showing theparts in still another position of operation;

Figure 11 is a developed section, similar to Figures 7 and 9, butshowing the parts in the same position of operation as they occupy inFigure 10;

Figure 12 is a detail vertical section taken in the plane l'2.|2 ofFigure 10;

Figure 13 is a detail horizontal section taken in the plane [3-43 ofFigure 10;

Figure 14 is a skeleton View taken substantially in the vertical planel4l4 of Figure 1A; and,

Figure 15 is a detail section, taken in a plane parallel to the sectionof Figure 14, but showing the moistening device and associated elementsin section.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 1A, the machine of the presentinvention comprises a frame formed largely of sheet metal sections andincluding a bottom horizontal base plate I to which are fastenedupwardly extending wall plates 2, 3, 4, and 5. The front Wall member 2which extends across one end of the machine is formed continuous withside wall members 6 and l. The sides of the machine are further enclosedby wall portions 9 of a suitable cover.

Secured to the top of the wall members 3 and i, and supported thereby,is a horizontal mounting plate II] for supporting a postage printingmachine ll. This machine I i may .be of the type described in thecopending application of Frank P. Sager, Ernest R. Bergmark, CommodoreD. Ryan and Herschel L. Atherton, Serial No. 332,305, filed April 29,1940, for Mail treating machine. The details of the postage printingmeter ll do not constitute a part of the present invention. Suffice itto say that the postage meter includes a rotary printing head (Figure 8)which is rotated to carry a printing face \il there. on first past aninkingroller 62, and then into contact with such mail matter as ispassing through the machine, i. e. envelope or tape. Thus, as theleading edge of the printing face moves into contact with the mailmatter, the latter is supported by a rotary platen 64 (Figure 1A) whichrotary platen rotates in synchronism with but in opposite direction tothe printing head to carry the mail matter between the printing head andplaten exactly as it would be carried through the rolls of a clotheswringer.

This platen 54 is mounted upon the shaft 50 to which the main crank '58is secured and is directly rotated thereby. It is preferably made ofyieldable material such as rubber, and is of arcuate extentsubstantially equivalent to the arcuate extent of the printing face BIon the printing head 50.

Crank 58 includes a handle 50 which when revolved causes printing drum00 (Figure 14) and platen 64 to revolve so that mail matter is fedtherethrough by frictional engagement between the printing face 0| andplaten 50. This movement of the envelope delivers its leading edgebetween a discharge roller I22 (Figure 1A) and an idler roller 123 whichis supported for rocking movement toward and away from the roller I22 onarms I24 (Figure 3) that are pivotally supported on a shaft I25. I22 isrotated rapidly to frictionally engage and discharge the envelope afterit is released from the printing face and platen.

The roller I23 is urged toward the roller I22 by gravity and also by theaction of a torsion spring I21 (Figure 1A). One end of the torsionspring I21 is anchored to a stationary collar I28 on the shaft I25 andthe shaft in turn is supported against rotation on an arm i30, which armis pivotally mounted on the shaft 65 by a universal bearing 50a and isnormally maintained in the position shown in Figure 6. The other end ofthe spring bears against a connecting plate I32 which interconnects thearms I20 which support the roller I23.

The construction and operation of the machine for printing directly onenvelopes or other such objects fed through the machine is described indetail in the above-noted copending application of which this is adivision. As previously indicated, the machine is also equpped to printpostage on a strip of gummed tape, which tape can then be stuck tomailing matter. This feature is particularly useful for attachingpostage to objects of such size or shape that they cannot be fed throughthe machine.

'I'o adapt the machine for printing and delivering tape, a tape-handlingmechanism 200 (Figure 2) is swung into position to feed tape between theprinting head and the platen (Figure 8).

The discharge mechanism including the roller I22 and the roller I23 arenot necessary When printing tape and would be in the way. Hence when themachine is adjusted to print postage on tape, this discharge rollerassembly is swung downwardly out of the way by the operation of rotatinga control handle 20I (Figure l) in counterclockwise direction through anangle of approximately 120". The handle 20I is secured to the end of ashaft 202 which is journaled in the two wall members 2 and 3 (Figure12). This initial rotation of the shaft 202 is transmitted through aball clutch mechanism 203, to be described later, to a sleeve 204rotatable on the shaft 202. The sleeve 204 has secured thereto an arm205 (Figure 6) which has pivotally connected thereto, as by a pivotscrew 206, the lower end of a link 201, the upper end of which is piv-The discharge roller otally connected by a screw 208 to the arm I30 onwhich the rollers I 22 and I23 are mounted. When the handle 20I is inits lower position, as shown in Figure l, the sleeve 204 is oriented asshown in Figure 6, and the arm 205 extends almost vertically, holdingthe arm I30 in its upper position for the discharge of envelopes.Clockwise rotation of the sleeve 204 is limited by the fact that as thepivot screw 206 moves clockwise (with reference to Figure 6), slightlypast dead center position, a lip 205a on the arm 205 engages against thelink 201 and prevents further movement.

The over-center position of the arm 205 makes the mechanismirreversible; i. e., it is impossible to rotate the arm 205 by forceapplied to the arm I 30. It will be apparent from inspection of Figure 6that the counter-clockwise rotation of the sleeve 204 and arm 205through substantially lowers the right end of the arm I30 and therollers I22 and I23, as shown in the two views of Figures 3 and 4,respectively. It will also be apparent from Figure 4 that the rollersnot only swing about the shaft 05 on which the arm I30 is pivotallysupported, but also about the bearing I48, this movement being permittedby the fact that both the bearings I00a, and I 48 are of the universaltype.

Movement of the handle 20I as described for shifting the dischargerollers out of the way, also functions to rock the tape-handlingmechanism 200 from the inactive position shown in Figure 5 into theactive position shown in Figure 8, this movement also being effected byrotation of the sleeve 204.

A mechanism is provided for cutting off the printed section of tapedischarged from the tape feeding mechanism at the completion of thecycle, this mechanism being described in detail in our copendingapplication Serial No. 531,346, filed April 17, 1944.

It should be noted here, however, that the tape cutting mechanism 250 ismounted at the delivery or forward end of the tape chute, the tapepassing through the shearing mechanism as it leaves the chute to besevered for removal from the machine. Thus the tape mechanism is carriedby the tape at the forward end thereof and participates in movement ofthe chute to and from its operative position relative to the nip betweenthe printing drum 60 and platen 64.

When the tape cutting mechanism 250 is in the position shown in Figure8, the tape feeds thereunder and out over a deflecting shelf 21I. Shelf2 1I (see Figure 15) is constituted by the base of a yoke member havingflanged portions 212 which are pivotally supported on pins 213 into theside members of the tape handling mechanism. A tension spring 214,stretched between a pin 215 on one of the flanges 212 and a pin 216 onthe corresponding side frame of the tape handling mechanism normallymaintains the shelf 21I in the position shown in Figure 8, in which oneof the flanges rests against a stop pin 211. Positioned immediatelyabove the shelf 21I is a cross pin 219 supported between the extendedside members of the tape handling mechanism, and the tape feeds betweenthe shelf 2H and the pin 219 when the shelf and pin are in the Figure 8position.

The shelf 211 is slightly curved to direct the tape upwardly so that itmay be easily grasped and removed from the machine after printing andcuttin off. The pin 219 is located centrally between the edges of theshelf and is positioned so that the bottom side of the pin is aboutflush or-even a little below the upturned edges of the shelf 27 I, sothat asthe tape is projected between the pin 219 and the curved shelf 21I, it will curve upwardly. Due to the fact that the fibers in the tapehave been oppositely stressed by winding on the roll, the tape has atendency tobend in the opposite direction to that of the curved shelf2'. Thus the tape is frictionally held between the pin 279 and shelf211., after cutting, until removed. 7 The machine is adapted todeliverthe gummed tape in either dry or moistened condition. When thetape is to be delivered .dry, it is discharged directly from the machineafter passing over the shelf 2.1! as previously described. On the otherhand, when the tape is'to be delivered from' the machine in moistenedcondition, it is delivered from the shelf 211 cutting off mechanismthrough a moistening device nowto be described.

Referring to Figures 14 and 15, the moistening device comprises a waterpot 315 having a brush 31 6 which is supported by a brush holder 3|!positioned in the lower part of the pot, the brush extending upwardlyfrom the holder 3!! and out of an aperture provided therefor in the topwall 318 of the water pot. A portion of the top wall 3 I3 is extendeddownwardly alongside the brush to form abaflie 319 to prevent waterbeing splashed out through the brush aperture when the pot is swung intoand out of moistening 'posi-' tion, as will be described later. The potis provided with a filler tube 320 which extends down into the pot froma filler opening adapted to be closed by a swinging lid 32!. The tube320 functions to prevent splashing of the water out through the filleropening when the pot is swung. The pot is equipped with a guide plate322 spaced above the top portion 323 of the pot, to define a chute forguiding the tapeacross the brush 316. Water rises through the brush bycapillary action to keep the upper portion of the brush sufficiently wetto properly moisten the tape as the latter feeds across the brush.

When the pot 315 is swung into the tape-moistening position shown inFigure 15, the pot engages against an arm 211a on the shelf '21!pivotally mounted at the exit end of the cutting off mechanism, androcks the shelf forwardly and downwardly from its Figure 8 position toits Figure 15 position to bring the outer edge 2112) of the shelfagainst the top wall 323 (Figure 15) of the pot, to direct the tape tothe brush.

To support the water pot, a movable pot holder is provided, this holderconsisting of a partial cylindrical wall member 324 formed integrallywith a bottom plate 326. Plates 325 and 326 are apertured to receive astationary supporting post 321 which is supported on the bottom plate-ofthe machine. The upper plate 325 is extended to form a supporting shelfupon which the water not sets and has an upward extension 323 which isreceived within a slot defined by a strap member 329 secured to one sideof the water pot. It will be apparent that the water pot can be placedon or removed from the holder by simply sliding itonto or off of theextension 328.

When outof use, the moistening device is swung from the position shownin Figure 14, downwardly and forwardly into the position shown inFigure,

1A, in which it is out of the way of the discharge roller and below theenvelope supporting table.

The pot holder is slidable vertically on the post 321 and is supportedvertically by a pin 330 extending radially from the post, which pinprojects into a helical slot 33| in the cylindrical-wallmem-' her 324 sothat the holder and the pot thereon is raised or lowered in response torotation of the holder on the post 321. As shown in Figure 11, the lowerend of the helical slot 331 is provided with a detent notch 332 toreceive the pin 330 and maintain the pot in uppermost position after ithas been moved into that position. The detent notch 332 providessuflicient resistance to rotation of the pot to prevent the latter fromrotating in response to the 'frictional'drag of the moving tape againstthe brush.

A mechanism is provided for rotating the pot holder to swing it into andout of tape moistening position, in response to actuation of the handle201. Thus the bottom plate 325 of the holder isprovided with gear teeth333 constituting a gear segment which meshes with a rack 334 formed onone edge of a link member 335, which link member has a slot 336 throughwhich extends the post member 321. The post 321. has slidably mountedthereon a spool-shaped bushing 331 which has a hub section slidablyfitting in the slot 336, and lower and upper flanges which engage theunder side of the link member 335 and the upper .side of the bottomplate 325, respectively, to maintain the rack 334 in mesh with thesegment 333 during the vertical movement of the mechanism on the post321.

The link 335 is pivotally connected at its left end (with reference toFigure 11) to the upper end of an arm 339, which arm is secured to a hub343 rotatable on the shaft 232 (Figure 12).

A ball clutch mechanism is provided for selectively coupling the shaft202 to the arm 339 during a portion of its movement, and to the sleeve234 during another portion of its movement. Arm

33.8 is more particularly described in connection sleeve 204 so that thelatter is rocked to swing the tape handling mechanism from the inactiveposition into the active position and simultaneouslyshift the dischargeroller mechanism from active position into inactive position, all asshown in Figure S.' The mechanism is so arranged that if the handle 2lllis then rocked an additional distance counterclockwise into the positionshown in broken lines in Figure 11, the shaft 232 is uncoupled from thesleeve 294 and is coupled to the arm 339 so as to shift the water potfrom inactive to active position. It should be noted that it is possibleto swing the water pot into active position only after the dischargeroller mechanism has been swung into inactive position, as may beobserved from inspection of Figures 3 and d. I

The ball clutch mechanism comprises an arm member 34! pinned to theshaft 232 and having parallel end faces which abut against the arm 333and against a flange 342 on the end of sleeve 2%. respectively. The armmember 34! has a hole 34?! therein of diameter to contain a pair ofballs 344. It will be observed from inspection of Figure 12 that thethickness of the arm 34! is less than twice the diameter of the balls344. so that they cannot be completely contained Within the hole Withthe handle 20I in the position shown in broken lines in Figure 2, withthe tape moving mechanism in inactive position, and with the water potin inactive position, the parts of the ball clutch occupy the relativepositions shown in Fig ure '7, in which it will be observed that the armmember 34| rests against a fiat portion of the arm 339 and is juxtaposedto a recess 342a in the flange 342 so that the flange 342 is constrainedto rock with the arm 34!. This condition prevails during rockingmovement of the arm 34] until the handle 23I reaches the intermediateposition indicated in broken lines in Figure 8, at which time the hole343 in the arm 34I moves into registration with a recess 339a in the arm339, as indicated in Figure 9. At this time the tape handling mechanismhas been moved into active position and further movement of the sleeve294 is prevented. Therefore when the handle 2M is rocked furthercounterclockwise from the position shown in Figure 8 into the positionshown in Figure 10, the upper ball (Figure 9) is forced out of therecess 342a and the lower ball is simultaneously forced into the recess339a so that the further movement of the arm 34! shifts the arm 339, asshown in Figure 11. This rocks the arm 339 to shift the water pot frominactive to active position.

To facilitate proper operation of the ball clutch mechanism, asdescribed, the arm 339 is provided with an arcuate surface 345concentric with the shaft 292 and having a pair of recesses 346 and 341which receive a spring-pressed ball detent 348, when the water pot is inits two positions of operation. Thus, when the water pot is in activeposition, the detent 348 is in the recess 341 which tends to retain themechanism in the position shown. On the other hand, when the handle 29!is in the intermediate position shown in Figure 8, then the ball detent348 is in the recess 346 and properly centers the arm 339 while thewater pot is in inactive position. The detent mechanism is desirablebecause there is substantial lost motion in the gear rack and segmentconnection to the water pot, and the limiting positions of the potmechanism alone do not accurately fix the limit positions of the arm339. 'It is desirable that the limit positions of the arm 339 beaccurately fixed in order to insure proper operation of the ball clutchmechanism.

It is to be understood that although for the purpose of explaining theinvention a particular embodiment thereof has been described inconsiderable detail, many variations from the exact constructiondisclosed will occur to those skilled in the art, and the invention isto be limited only as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A printing machine comprising a printing head and platen operable toprint On and feed objects therebetween, a tape-supporting and feedingmechanism movable between an inoperative position clear of said printinghead and platen and an operative position adjacent the contactingsurfaces of the printing head and platen, moistening means formoistening tape discharged from said printing head and platen, saidmoistening means being movable into operative and inoperative positions,a control member movable between first second and third positions, andmeans coupling said control member to said tape supporting means andsaid moistening means for moving said tape supporting means intooperative position while leaving said moistening device in inoperativeposition in response to movement of said control member between firstand second positions, and

for moving said moistening device from inoperative to operative positionwhile leaving said tape supporting means in operative position inresponse to movement of said control member from second to thirdposition.

2. A tape treating machine comprising a chute for guidingly supportinga. gummed tape, means for treating and feeding tape through said chute,moistening means for moistening tape discharged from said chute, andmeans supporting said moistening means for movement into and out ofoperative relation with said chute, comprising a vertical post, a memberslidable and rotatable on said post for supporting said moisteningmeans, cooperating means on said supporting member and post guiding saidmember for simultaneous twisting and vertical movement on said post,whereby said moistening device is supported for movement in a helicalpath extending downwardly and away from said tape chute, and means foryieldably restraining said supporting means in its upper extremeposition.

3. A tape treating machine comprising a chute for guidingly supporting agummed tape, means for treating and feeding tape through said chute,moistening means for moistening tape discharged from said chute, andmeans supporting said moistening means for movement into and out ofoperative relation with said chute, comprising hinge means revolvablysupporting said supporting means for swinging movement from a positionin operative relation with said chute to a position clear of the path oftape discharged from said chute, and means for yieldably restrainingsaid moistening means in operative and inoperative positions.

4. A tape treating machine comprising a chute for guidingly supporting agummed tape, means for treating and feeding tape through said chute,moistening means for moistening tape discharged from said chute, meanssupporting said moistening means for movement into and out of operativerelation with said chute, a shelf for guiding tape issuing from saidchute, means supporting the shelf for rocking movement between a firstposition in which it directs tape in a first direction and a secondposition in which it directs tape in a second direction, means yieldablyurging said shelf into said first position, and cooperating means onsaid shelf and said moistening means for shifting said shelf into saidsecond position in response to movement of said moistening means intooperative position.

5. Apparatus as described in claim 2, including gear means on saidsupporting member, rack means adapted to mesh with said gear means,means for mutually supporting said rack means and gear means in meshingrelation while permitting longitudinal motion of said rack means torotate said gear means, control means movable between two positions, andmeans responsive to movement of said control means for shifting saidrack means longitudinally.

6. Apparatus as described in claim 2, including gear means on saidsupporting member, rack means adapted to mesh with said gear means,means for mutually supporting said rack means and gear means in meshingrelation while permitting longitudinal motion of said rack means torotate said gear means, control means movable between two positions,means responsive to movement of said control means for shifting saidrack means longitudinally, said means for shifting said rack meanscomprising an arm oscillatable upwardly and laterally, and alongitudinal extension on said rack means pivotally connected to saidarm, horizontal movement of said arm in such direction as to raise thegear means being accompanied by simultaneous upward movement of the arm,whereby said rack means is maintained substantially normal to the axisof said gear means during actuation thereof.

7. A printing machine comprising, in combination, a rotatable printinghead, a cooperating rotatable platen, means for rotating said printinghead and platen, means for supporting and feeding a tape between saidprintin head and platen, means for moving said tape supporting meansinto and out of operative relation with said printing head and platen, atape moistening device, means mounting said tape moistening de vice forspiral movement into and out of operative relationship with saidprinting head and platen so that when in operative position saidmoistening device may receive printed tape from between said printinghead and platen, and control means connected to said tape supportingmeans and to said moistening device for moving said tape supportingmeans and said tape moistening means into and out of operative position,said control means comprising a single manually operable member whichupon operation first moves said tape supporting means into operativeposition and thereafter moves said tape moistening means into operativeposition.

8. A printing machine comprising, in combination, a rotatable printinghead, a cooperating rotatable platen, means for rotating said printinghead and platen, means for supporting and feeding a tape between saidprinting head and platen, means for moving said tape supporting meansinto and out of operative relation with said printing head and platen, atape moistening device, means pivotally mounting said tape moisteningdevice for pivotal movement into and out of operative relationship withsaid printing head and platen so that when in operative position saidmoistening device may receive printed tape from between said printinghead and platen, and control means connected to said tape supportingmeans and to said moistening device for moving said tape supportingmeans and said tape moistening means into and out of operative position,the pivotal axis of said tape moistening means extending at right anglesto the axis of rotation of said platen.

9. A printing machine comprising, in combination, a rotatable printinghead, a cooperating rotatable platen, means for rotating said printinghead and platen, means for supporting and feeding a, tape between saidprinting head and platen, means for moving said tape supporting meansinto and out of operative relation with said printing head and platen, atape moistening device, means pivotally mounting said tape moisteningdevice for pivotal movement into and out of operative relationship withsaid printing head and platen so that when in operative position saidmoistening device may receive printed tape from between said printinghead and platen, and control means connected to said tape supportingmeans and. to said mostening device for moving said tape supportingmeans and said tape moistening means into and out of operative position,said means which mounts the tape moistening means for pivotal movementinto and out of oper ative position including cooperating elements whichupon the pivotal movement of the tape moistening means into operativeposition raise the tape moistening means to a position wherein themoistening portion thereof lies adjacent the delivery end of the tapefeeding means.

10. A printin machine comprising, in combination, a rotatable printinghead, a cooperating rotatable platen, means for rotating said printinghead and platen, means for guiding an object to be printed upon betweensaid printing head and platen, means for engaging and dischargingobjects after passage thereof between said printing head and platen,means for supporting and feeding a tape between said printing head andplaten, means for moving said discharge means from an operative positionadjacent said platen and printing head into an inoperative positiondisplaced therefrom, means for moving said tape supporting means intoand out of operative relation with said printing head and platen, tapemoistening means and means supporting it for movement between operativeand inoperative positions, said moistening means and said objectdischarging means being located in substantially the same position whenin their operative positions, control means for moving said tapesupporting mechanism into and out of operative position, and means alsoresponsive to said control means for movin said discharging means fromsaid operative to said inoperative position and thereafter moving saidmoistening means from inoperative into operative position.

11. A tape treating machine comprising, in combination, a chute forguiding and supporting a gummed tape, means for treating and feedingtape through said chute, moistening means for moistening tape dischargedfrom said chute, means mounting said tape moistening device forspiralmovement into and out of operative relationship with respect tothe delivery end of said chute, whereby when said moistening means is inoperative position it can receive and moisten tape discharged from thedelivery end of said chute, and means operatively connected to said tapemoistening device for moving said device into and out of its operativepositions.

COMMODORE D. RYAN. EDWARD P. DRAKE.

